The real challenge

I have a goal. Gamesday.

Build and paint an army by Gamesday ready for a game.

The army is similar to the one below, but just to clarify here it is again:

- Company Command Squad in Chimera

- Platoon (Command, 5 Squads, 2 heavy weapons squads)

- Vet Squad in Chimera

- 3 Leman Russes

- Hydra

- 3 Sentinels

So, I work that out to be painting 88 models in 105 days. Not too much of a challenge. Hmm.

Will keep this updated.

Bloodthirster

First Steps

At the risk of making posting regular here I am again.

Just to report the first steps along the route of my Infantry Platoon for the 117th.

Have built two squads and the mortar squad.

Not much, but it is progress.

Pictures when more is finished.

Bloodthirster

A goal has been set.

A new year as arrived. I feel the need to focus my efforts with my hobby. Too much indecisiveness and flitting between one new thing and another. I want an army that is complete.

I have set myself a goal for the year.

I want to produce at least one 1,000 point army. I also want to produce a kick-ass gaming table.

So, what do I do? To start with everything that is not focused on my current project is packed away. I can only see my current project.

So what is it? Well, the Tallarn 117th (the blog's namesake) will be featuring. I am planning a 1,000 point guard army. Based around infantry.

881st Cadian Regiment, 2nd Infantry Company, 1st Platoon.

HQ
2nd Company Command Squad
- Power fist
- Bolt Pistol
- Medi-pack
- Standard
- Vox-caster
- Grenade Launcher
Chimera Command Vehicle
- Pintle Mounted stubber

TROOPS
1st Platoon
Command Squad
- Power Weapon
- Vox-caster
- Two Plasma guns
1st Squad
- Flamer
- Vox-caster
2nd Squad
- Flamer
- Vox-caster
3rd Squad
- Flamer
- Vox-caster
4th Squad
- Grenade launcher
- Vox-caster
5th Squad
- Grenade launcher
- Vox-caster
Heavy Weapons Squad
- Mortars
Heavy Weapons Squad
- Autocannons
Heavy Weapons
- Missile launchers

Tallarn Vets
- Power Weapon
- Vox-caster
- 2 Meltaguns

Fast Attack
Scout Sentinel Squadron
- 3 Sentinels


O.K. This is the first 1,000 point army of the year. Another to 'hopefully' follow.

Let's see how I get on with these then.

Report later,

Bloodthirster

End of the Year Report

Well, well, well.

The Guard got now where fast. I have however painted a rather nice addition to my Dark Angels force. A Librarian. He looks cool. Will post pictures soon (ish).

The whole regular posting didn't quite make an appearance either. Hmmm...

A quick note needs to be made of Games Day. Fantastic eve of gaming. Woohoo, Termagants took down a Nurgle Daemon Prince. Whilst there I saw the new cover for the 'Nid codex.

So...

A new year approaches. Resolutions need to be made. An apocalypse army in a year. Should be reasonable.

Will post when I have the new codex. This looks exciting.

Bloodthirster

The aftermath and future

Well, so much for the deadline. Ended up painting until 2am on the morning of the tournament and then adding bits to a few models on the coach in. Hmmm....I need more discipline in painting my models.

Tournament went well. Won one game and lost the other two. All three games were very enjoyable and all resting on crucial decisions (which we got wrong). Good fun and if the dice gods were looking the other way we might have done better, still a fun day and more importantly our army looked splendid.

Upon arriving home I found a very special package waiting for me....it was from Forge World.

Imperial Armour Volume 7: The Siege of Vraks Part 3. The culmination of the magnificent story based on the armoury world of Vraks. Forge World have done it again. Just reading the background, looking at the colour plates in the book and reading the new army lists left me with a strong sense of longing. I want it all. I want a Krieg army, I want Plague marines and Beserkers. But, I cannot have. I have decided that I must concentrate on my armies and my painting. To this end I am going to go back a few years. Back to Imperial Armour 3 and the story that really kick-started my desire for cool armies. The Taros Campaign.

The Taros Campaign was Forge World's first book to include a story, army lists and new rules. It also heralded the release of some very cool models, including Tallarn snipers. Whilst reading this book I was hooked on Guard. I needed a Guard army and the Tallarn were to be it. This was during the time I worked at Games Workshop and as a result I ordered in a massive box of Tallarn metals. It was this army that led me to start up this Blog (albeit a thoroughly incomplete and inconsistent one). So it is with great pleasure that I made the decision to go back to the roots and develop my Guard.

Since beginning this the new Imperial Guard codex has been released and with it it destroyed my ideas. The removal of lasguns for Sergeants ruined everything. I had based my infantry platoons around this concept and now I had to find an alternative. This was easier said than done, as there are very few (1 in fact) Sergeant model in the Tallarn range. Although cool looking, he is not available separately and I am, at this point, unwilling to shell out £20 to buy one man. I needed an alternative. Then it struck me. Looking back to the Taros Campaign I had my answer.

So, I have created the Tallarn 117th. The idea is based on the Tallarn 17th in structure. After the war on Taros the 17th were disbanded and the Veterans merged with other units. This has formed the basis for the 117th.

The 117th are a veteran regiment. Limited in numbers after a posting to a particularly brutal theatre of war, they have been merged with another regiment. The Cadian 141st. This is an armoured regiment, also from the same conflict as the 117th, but relatively unscathed. As a result the 117th act as veteran squads for the Cadians. This overcame the problem of needed Sergeants with Laspistols as it will be easier to give them shotguns.

I have drafted a list for the Tallarn for me to work towards and will keep posts updated (honestly). I am also going to be adding to the Salamanders I took to the tournament as I think they would make nice allies for the Desert Regiments of the 117th and 141st.

Will try to keep the progress updated and hope to have this done by Christmas so I can get a few games in in the Holidays.

Bloodthirster

Start of Play

Well, cricket on, rain expected, washing brought in. Painting required.

May have left it a little later than I would like, but the deadline is finally working it's magic and forcing me to paint an army.

Pictures will follow. Highlighting the armour on the first lot of five Marines. Long way to go yet.

Will keep updating.

Bloodthirster

A Real Deadline!

SO, quite a while since I posted anything. In this time I have built a Command Squad and Chimera for the Cadian 141st, the unit the Tallarn 117th are attached to at the moment. New Guard codex has been out. Read another two Horus Heresy books. Entered a tournament.

The reason I post today is linked with the final point.

I like to think I can set myself deadlines to work to. Goals to achieve, but I am rubbish at doing so. I need to have a deadline that has been set in stone by someone else that I cannot miss. Two years ago I entered a Conflict tournament in London with a mate of mine. Doubles, 500 points each. This really focused my army building and painting. I managed to get an army painted up ready to use and it looked good. (I will post pictures later).

When I was asked if I wanted to enter another doubles tournament I jumped at the chance. Spending a whole day at Warhammer World, playing 40K with a good mate. What could be better?

We had a discussion and decided that we enjoyed using Space Marines last time. In addition, we both had a large supply of bits and models to use. When the Marine codex came out we both worked out cool Salamander armies. I even went as far as collating some models to build it with. That was last September. Nothing happened since. However, with the deadline set, 24th August, and a goal set, 600 points painted well, I'm off.

The mighty Sons of Vulkan are going to be the theme for the army. Lots of melta/flamer goodness. We needed a balanced list and some cool models, so I have actually been quite busy with modelling and painting recently and later today I will show you the fruits of my labour.

For now, back to work.

20 days to go
22 models to paint

Bloodthirster